The other evening I had my family over to do a little food prep. I find that cooking is always more enjoyable if it’s enjoyed with others or by others. During this time in the world, the few small get togethers that we have are so valuable, bringing lots of good energy to the week. We enjoyed too much wine, made 1 meal for lunches, a special dinner for the evening and lots of conversation and laughs.
Our main focus was to find meals that were healthy, whole, GF, DF, meat free, filling, and fake cheese free. That’s a big list! As I’ve said in previous blogs, this needs a special name so I can search it on pinterest and ask for it by one name in the grocery store. I never realized the value of labeling a diet until now! Most often, I don’t like labels because it can turn people away from some really good food. Especially eating Vegan (with the exception of eggs), my family often passes on foods they would like just because they’re labeled vegan. C’mon, Chips are vegan and everybody loves them, just because it’s not labeled that way, they’re not afraid to try it. Silly really.
Anyway, on to the main event here. The lunch we prepped was a simple quinoa and chickpea recipe a friend of mine sent. 5 ingredients and I can top it with whatever I like. The problem is, I made WAYYYYYY too much quinoa. So what I did was use stuff I had in the fridge that was going to expire if not cooked, to make a garden vegetable soup with a SW kick and quinoa for substance! It ended up being totally delicious and we had frozen steak bites that I used for my husbands portion. Frozen steak comes out dry and not as flavorful so it was the perfect way to use it!
With this recipe you can swap out whatever you have on hand like rice instead of quinoa, maybe do a green pepper if you have one, corn would be good too. I also always have kale frozen for soups from the summer garden, that would be a great substitute to the spinach. I love sneaking greens into soups for the added nutrients and they don’t carry much flavor cooked down. It’s the perfect compliment to your dish and belly. Get creative and just use what you have in that fridge. This is my favorite way of reducing waste and you never know what’s good until you try it!
To my Father in Law – if you need meat in here, ground chicken would be good and you can do a half pound for the entire soup. Be sure to add another cup or two of broth so it’s not too thick.
Love – Your daughter in law
Wine Pairing
For this recipe I think I would turn to our newest Limited Edition Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc as it mimics a New Zealand Sauv Blanc perfectly and is crisp and refreshing against all of the seasoning in the soup. If you are a red drinker, I would suggest a pinot noir that’s a little more fruit forward. Our Edna Valley Pinot Noir is one of my favorites and I think it would bring out the oregano in this dish making it a little more fresh with every sip.
Every bottle gives back to making this world a better place through donations. Our foundation gives back with every purchase and I have open fundraisers open all of the time for local non profits. Check out my site to learn more! Love to give – ONEHOPE Wine
Crockpot Southwest Garden Soup
Equipment
- Crockpot
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Cooked Quinoa Use instructions on package, any color is fine
- 4 Cups Vegetable Stock Or more if you prefer a little extra broth, 4 cups ends up being light on the broth
- 1/2 Bag Fresh Spinach It cooks down so don't be alarmed if it looks like a lot
- 1/2 Bag Petite Diced Carrots
- 1 Can Diced Tomatoes 14.5/15 oz with juice
- 3/4 Med Yellow Onion
- 1 Can Black Beans 14.5/15 oz can drained
- 1 Tablespoon Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Teaspoon Oregano
- 1 Teaspoon Paprika
- 1 Teaspoon Chipotle Pepper Seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon Cumin
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Toppings
- 1/4 Avocado Diced
- Handful Salad Toppers from Target – SW Strips Gluten Free and Dairy Free – Check the label
Wine
- 1 Glass ONEHOPE – EV Pinot Noir or Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc See Blog for links to wine and the charities they donate to
Instructions
- Saute onions in a touch of avacado oil until translucent
- Add all ingredients to crockpot and cook
- Add extra season in last hour if desired
- If you are adding meat – Saute in pan and add per serving to keep the large amount vegan etc.
- Enjoy!!!
